NIFA support, primarily through the Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension (ECDRE) program, has funded multiple projects advancing knowledge about fighting Huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening.
NIFA leadership testing some new blended juices made with UF/IFAS bred citrus.
“Citrus greening is a devastating disease that has impacted virtually every commercial grove in Florida and has cost millions in damage and lost production,” said Toombs. “Our NIFA team was very impressed by the advances the UF/IFAS team has made in expanding understanding the disease and in developing ways to help the state’s citrus grower combat it.
“The work being done at the CREC is a shining example of the profound impact that NIFA support has on research but also how NIFA funding impacts American farmers and growers.”
The citrus industry in the U.S. is valued at more than $3.3 billion with major production presently concentrated in Florida, California and Texas. HLB was first detected in the U.S. in 2005 in Florida and has now also been detected in Texas and California. HLB is responsible for more than 75% reduction in citrus production in Florida.
UF/IFAS Sr. Vice President Scott Angle, Extension Director Andre Johnson and CREC Director Michael Rogers guided the research tour. The delegation met researchers who are working to breed tolerant and resistant citrus varieties; neutralize the insect vector that transmits the disease-causing bacterium; understand the science of how the bacterium spreads and replicates through a tree; and develop best horticultural practices to support long-term tree health and productivity.
The CREC is one of the world’s largest research centers dedicated to the science of growing citrus. Established in 1917 by Florida’s citrus growers and located in Lake Alfred, Florida, the center is a community of over 250 scientists, staff and students from around the world.
The NIFA team tasted fruit and juice of new varieties in development. Drs. Fred Gmitter and Jude Grosser are working on varieties bred not only for tolerance to HLB but also taste quality, look, size and peeling ease. Dr. Kirsten Pelz-Stelinski discussed her work to intercept the bacterium within the insect vector to prevent its transmission from tree to tree.
Dr. Nian Wang demonstrated his research using CRISPR to identify which genes are most responsible for receiving the bacterium and potentially could be silenced to suppress the disease at the cellular level. This would result in a HLB-resistant tree – the ultimate answer to the greening problem.
UF/IFAS entomologist professor Kirsten Pelz-Stelinski (far right) explains how her research is looking to stop the deadly citrus greening disease in the guts of the insect that transmits the bacterium.
Drs. Amit Levy and Tripti Vashisth shared their work on understanding how the disease travels throughout the tree. Vashisth also shared information about the effectiveness of plant growth regulators on impacting fruit drop – a serious result of the disease that impacts Florida growers.
Additional field research is being conducted where scientists are looking at how certain horticultural practices can impact infected trees. Drs. Lauren Diepenbrock, Megan Dewdney, Christopher Vincent and Davie Kadyampakeni are investigating individual protective covers, reflective mulch, kaolin clay, and fertigation techniques. This project shows promising results that growers could use now to support infected trees in commercial groves.
Top image: UF/IFAS citrus breeders Fred Gmitter and Jude Grosser explain how they are breeding disease-tolerant citrus varieties that taste great.
Original source can be found here.
